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(07) Geography 1 > Weather and Climate > Flashcards

Weather and Climate Flashcards

1
Q

What is weather?

A

the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time

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2
Q

What is climate?

A

how the atmosphere “behaves” over a long period of time - based off the pervious 30 years of weather

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3
Q

What are the different circulation cells?

A

Hadley Cell 0-30º
Ferrel Cell 30-60º
Polar Cell 60º-90º

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4
Q

Describe how air travels across the circulation cells

A
  1. at the equator, hot air rises to 15km, causing low pressure
  2. the air current divides, cools and moves 30º north and south, leading to high pressure
  3. some of the cooled air moves back to the equator as trade winds
  4. the rest travels towards the poles until it reaches 60º where the warmer air of the Ferrel cells meets the cold polar air
  5. the warmer air rises to form Polar cells, this air then travels to the poles where it cools and sinks, forming high pressure
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5
Q

What is the Coriolis Effect?

A

as the earth spins it rotates under the atmosphere

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6
Q

What is the Coriolis Effect?

A

as the earth spins it rotates under the atmosphere, forcing air to be deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere, and to the left in the southern hemisphere

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7
Q

How do ocean currents redistribute heat energy across the Earth?

A
  1. ocean currents transfer heat energy from areas of surplus (equator) to areas of deficit (poles)
  2. wind-driven surface currents and deeper ocean currents move warm water towards the poles and colder water towards the equator
  3. at the poles, water is cold and dense so sinks, and is replaced by warmer water from the equator - creating ocean currents e.g. the North Atlantic Drift/Gulf Stream
  4. cooler water flows back to the equator - forming cold currents e.g. the Humboldt Current
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8
Q

What is the troposphere?

A

part of the atmosphere which is 10-15km high where most of the weather takes place

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9
Q

What are the ways in which heat at the equator is redistributed around the world?

A
  1. oceanic circulation
  2. circulation cells
  3. the coriolis effect
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10
Q

What are the features of the Gulf Stream?

A
  1. Narrow - 50 miles wide
  2. 3mph
  3. 25ºC water
  4. splits into the north atlantic drift
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11
Q

What are the features of the North Atlantic Drift?

A
  1. widens to several hundred miles
  2. less than 1mph
  3. several sub currents
  4. splits into two at british isles and has considerable influence on the climate e.g. keeps Norwegian ports free of ice and UK is 5ºC warmer than other coteries on its latitude
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12
Q

Name a current that takes cold water back to the equator?

A

the Humboldt Current

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13
Q

What have been the main causes of climate change in the past?

A
  1. Milankovich cycles (orbital theory)
  2. solar variation (sun spot theory)
  3. volcanism (eruption theory)
    (4. asteroid theory)
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14
Q

How have milankovich cycles caused climate change in the past?

A
  1. the way the earth orbits around the sun can change - leading to glacial periods of time (5-6ºC cooler) and interglacial (2-3ºC warmer)
  2. shape of the orbit may change - called eccentricity cycle - e.g. more circular (cooler) or more elliptical orbit (warmer) - every 100,000 years
  3. axial tilt cycle - greater tilt means more extreme temp changes between seasons - varies every 40,000 years
  4. “wobble” of the earth’s axis changes the direction the axis is facing - called a precession cycle every 24,000 years
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15
Q

How has solar variation caused climate change in the past?

A
  1. sunspots are black areas on the surface of the sun
  2. if sun has lots of spots it means the sun is more active than usual so more solar energy is given off
  3. sunspot cycles can cause climate change for a few hundred years
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16
Q

How has volcanism/asteroids caused climate change in the past?

A
  1. volcanic eruptions/asteroids produce ash and sulphur dioxide gas
  2. this spreads around the earth’s stratosphere by winds
  3. this causes a blanket of ash which will stop sunlight reaching the earth’s surface as the solar rays are reflected back into space - creating a glacial period for a few years/10 years
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17
Q

How does global warming occur?

A
  1. people burn fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
  2. solar rays are emitted from the sun and reach the earth through short wave energy
  3. heat energy is radiated back into space through long wave energy - however greenhouse gases clog the atmosphere and trap the heat energy within the earth’s atmosphere
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18
Q

What can be used to prove global warming?

A
  1. the keeling curve (amount of CO2 parts per million rising 310-400 over past 50 years)
  2. dendrochronology (wider gaps between rings on trees recently as more CO2 to photosynthesise and grow)
  3. ice cores (more bubbles means more CO2 in atmosphere)
  4. preserved pollen (provides evidence on warm and cold growing conditions)
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19
Q

What are the factors that are impacted by climate change?

A
  1. crop yields/food security
  2. water
  3. thermal expansion
  4. eustatic sea level rise
  5. extreme weather
  6. disease
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20
Q

What are the advantages of climate change on crop yields?

A

if UK temperature increases, farms will be able to grow more crop variety e.g. grapes

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21
Q

What are the disadvantages of climate change on crop yields?

A

global warming might impact the rate of photosynthesis, leading to lower crop yields, will impact food chains and lead to malnourished populations

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22
Q

What are the disadvantages of climate change on water?

A

some areas are more likely to flood e.g. Bangladesh (snow melts from Himalayas) and some areas are more likely to suffer from water stress e.g. the Sahel becoming more arid

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23
Q

What are the advantages of climate change on thermal expansion?

A

some fish like the increase in temperature

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24
Q

What are the disadvantages of climate change on thermal expansion?

A

flooding will occur as water is expected to expand as much as 4ºC by 2100

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25
Q

What are the advantages of climate change on the Eustatic Sea Level Rise?

A

Eustatic sea level rise leads to an increase in the volume of ocean biomes

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26
Q

What are the disadvantages of climate change on the Eustatic Sea Level Rise?

A

flooding occurs as sea levels rise - ice caps melting mean sea level will rise by 40cm by 2100

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27
Q

What are the advantages of climate change on disease?

A

more insects survive so thats good:)

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28
Q

What are the disadvantages of climate change on disease?

A

disease spreading insects survive which leads to more disease

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29
Q

What are the two periods of time that show climate change in the last 1000 years?

A
  1. the medieval warm period 950-1100

2. the little ice age 1600-1850

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30
Q

What were the features of the Medieval Warm Period?

A
  1. UK temp was much warmer and grapes could grow
  2. crop yields increased meaning more food was available
  3. occurred as a result of increase in sunspots
  4. 950-1100
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31
Q

What were the features of the Little Ice Age?

A
  1. UK temp dropped
  2. River Thames froze over
  3. crops failed and population declined
  4. due to volcanism and decrease in sunspots
  5. 1600-1850
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32
Q

What are tropical cyclones?

A

large rotating storms which form over oceans in tropical areas

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33
Q

How are tropical cyclones formed?

A
  1. high temperatures cause air to rise from the ocean surface
  2. the rising air causes thunderstorms
  3. sometimes these storms can group together and create a strong flow of rapidly rising warm air
  4. this makes an area of extreme low pressure at the centre of these storms
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34
Q

What are the conditions needed for a tropical cyclone to form?

A
  1. source of warm moist air (27ºC+)
  2. season when ocean water is warmest (june-november in north and november-april in south)
  3. winds converging the ocean surface
  4. formation a distance from the Equator so the coriolis effect can rotate the storm
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35
Q

What is the general movement of tropical cyclones?

A

do not remain where formed and will follow the direction of prevailing winds - when reaching land the hurricane is cut off from its energy source and there is less moisture so it slows

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36
Q

What is used to track tropical cyclones?

A
  1. satellite imagery

2. statistical modelling

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37
Q

Where do tropical cyclones form?

A

5º - 30º above and below equator - e.g. 15% of their activity happens in the Caribbean and the USA

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38
Q

What are the characteristics of a tropical cyclone?

A
  1. 5-6 miles high
  2. eye and eye wall
  3. spin anti-clockwise in northern hemisphere and clockwise in south (coriolis effect)
  4. moves at 10-40mph
  5. winds of 40mph + (if less then it is a tropical depression)
  6. 300-400 miles wide
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39
Q

What is the quaternary period?

A

a period that covers the last 2.6 million years when there have been 60 glacial periods lasting 100,000 years and interglacial periods lasting 15,000

40
Q

Which human activities cause climate change?

A
  1. industry
  2. transport
  3. energy
  4. farming
41
Q

How does industry lead to an enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

rising demand for consumer goods increases production so more fossil fuels are burned and release greenhouse gases

42
Q

How does transport lead to an enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

rising affluence increases car ownership and air travel, releasing more greenhouse gases

43
Q

How does energy lead to an enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

new technologies and population growth mean increased demand for electricity produced from coal, oil and natural gas

44
Q

How does farming lead to an enhanced greenhouse effect?

A

global population growth increases demand for food, changes in farming techniques (mechanisation) burns more fuel and demand for meat in Western-style diets increases methane levels

45
Q

What are the negative impacts of climate change on the environment? (3)

A
  1. melting ice sheets and retreating glaciers add water to ocean, making sea levels rise - arctic melting could cause gulf stream to move south leading to colder temperatures in Western Europe
  2. rising sea levels means coastal flooding, soils become contaminated with salt and kill plants
  3. melting glaciers means river systems and ecosystems will be flooded and will have too little water in the long term
46
Q

What are the negative impacts of climate change on people? (3)

A
  1. changes in climate near the Equator (e.g. Sahel) means longer periods of less rainfall leading ro lower crop yields
  2. many low-lying islands e.g. Maldives face flood risk from rising sea levels - loss of beaches and coral reefs also occur
47
Q

What is the UK’s climate like today?

A

UK has a temperate, wet climate

extreme weather is rare but the meeting of major air masses makes frontal rainfall common

48
Q

What are the five factors that impact the UK’s climate?

A
  1. maritime influence
  2. prevailing wind
  3. North Atlantic Drift
  4. Atmospheric circulation
  5. altitude
49
Q

How does the maritime influence impact the UK?

A

maritime influence means most of the air reaching the UK contains a lot of moisture as we are surrounded by the sea - leading to more rainfall

50
Q

How do the prevailing winds influence the UK?

A

prevailing winds come from the south-west - the air travels long distances over the Atlantic Ocean before reaching the UK which bring moisture (leading to more rainfall)

51
Q

How does the North Atlantic Drift influence the UK?

A

this current brings warm water north to the UK - makes the UK 5ºC warmer than would be expected for its latitude

52
Q

How does atmospheric circulation influence the UK?

A

UK is near the boundary between the Ferrel and Polar cells - meaning warmer and cooler air meet, causing unsettled weather

53
Q

How does the altitude influence the UK?

A

the higher an area is, the cooler and wetter it is so areas in the UK vary

54
Q

What is used to classify how damaging a tropical cyclone is?

A

the Saffir-Simpson scale (classifies into five categories 1-5 with 5 being catastrophic)

55
Q

What are the five main hazards associated with tropical cyclones?

A
  1. high winds (uproot trees/buildings potentially loss of life)
  2. storm surges (cause large masses of water onto land leading to damage on beaches and coastal habitats)
  3. landslides (intense rainfall leads to soil saturation)
  4. coastal flooding (increases damage to properties)
  5. intense rainfall (leads to flooding, damages buildings and can strand people)
56
Q

What is an MEDC casestudy for a tropical cyclone?

A

Hurricane Sandy October 2012

57
Q

What is an LEDC casestudy for a tropical cyclone?

A

Typhoon Haiyan November 2013

58
Q

Where was the location of Hurricane Sandy?

A

formed in Caribbean Sea - moved to Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti then USA to New Jersey then New York

59
Q

Where was the location of Typhoon Haiyan?

A

formed in South Pacific ocean near Federated States of Micronesia - made landfall in the Philippines - most damage to Samar and Leyte islands

60
Q

What was the social impact of Hurricane Sandy?

A
  1. 117 US deaths
  2. damaged 200,000 homes - displaced people
  3. power outages affected 8 million US residents
  4. schools closed for days
61
Q

What was the social impact of Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  1. 6000 confirmed deaths
  2. 600,000 people displaced from houses
  3. significant loss of power, areas isolated by debris
  4. lack of communication links caused panic
62
Q

What was the economic impact of Hurricane Sandy?

A
  1. estimated $65 billion in property damage - 200,000 homes destroyed
  2. government had to pay for petrol to be brought in as supplies ran out
  3. tourism income fell e.g. New York Marathon cancelled as a result
63
Q

What was the economic impact of Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  1. estimated $2 billion in damage

2. transport between islands was disrupted making aid difficult and expensive

64
Q

What was the environmental impact of Hurricane Sandy?

A
  1. storm surge caused damage to coastal nature reserves e.g. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware
  2. raw sewage leaked into waters in NY and NJ causing damage to habitats
  3. trees collapsing on power lines and exploding transformers caused fire outbreaks
65
Q

What was the environmental impact of Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  1. mangroves damaged
  2. lots of uprooted trees
  3. chemical leaks from damaged industrial facilities meant areas had to be evacuated
  4. a tanker caused oil spills leading to sea pollution
66
Q

How did the government respond to Hurricane Sandy?

A
  1. spent $65 billion on emergency spending to help rebuilding and supporting victims
  2. New York set up a new local government office to support rebuilding
  3. deployed mobile medical clinic to help communities in need
67
Q

How did the government respond to Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  1. put provinces of the Philippines into “State of National Calamity” in order to give aid/funds
  2. granted aid from other countries e.g. £10 million from the UK including emergency shelter, water and household items
68
Q

How did organisations respond to Hurricane Sandy?

A
  1. massive media response meant that awareness was raised

2. relief workers dispatched to hard-hit areas e.g. from American Red Cross

69
Q

How did organisations respond to Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  1. World Health Organisation coordinated an international response to help the government meet the acute need for healthcare services
70
Q

How did individuals respond to Hurricane Sandy?

A
  1. volunteered to provide aid to hard-hit areas e.g. from American Red Cross
  2. Concert for Sandy Relief with artists e.g. Rolling Stones
71
Q

How did individuals respond to Typhoon Haiyan?

A
  1. people in countries e.g. UK and Canada gave money towards the relief efforts
  2. lots of panic from citizens and feeling of abandonment as aid was slow (because of the damage to infrastructure and no electricity so evacuation had to be done in daylight)
72
Q

What are the characteristics of arid environments?

A
  1. receives less than 250mm of rainfall per year
  2. found where Hadley and Ferrel cells meet where the air is descending - creating an area of high pressure with no clouds so low amounts of precipitation and dry environments
  3. mostly located within the tropics
    e. g. the Sahel, Northern Africa
73
Q

How are flora adapted to live in arid conditions?

A
  1. succulence - absorb large amounts of water through extensive root systems with waxy cuticles make them waterproof when stomata close - 400 succulent species in Australia
  2. drought tolerance - shed leaves to prevent water loss through transpiration, some have waxy leaves and few stomata
  3. drought avoidance - most survive one season, have rapid life cycle and die after seeding - or only germinate in moist conditions e.g. sedum plant
74
Q

How are fauna adapted to live in arid conditions?

A
  1. many are nocturnal - kangaroos feed at dawn and dusk
  2. drought avoidance - rainfall triggers hormonal response to reproduce
  3. drought tolerance - hopping most energy efficient form of transport
75
Q

Where does drought occur?

A
  1. areas that receive rainfall in particular months e.g. the Sahel are particularly vulnerable to drought
  2. the UK doesn’t rely on a rainy season for rainfall so is less likely to suffer from drought
  3. arid environments do not suffer from drought as aridity is already normal for the area
76
Q

When do droughts occur?

A

occur when global circulation changes meaning that rains are delayed or weaker - where hadley and ferrel cells meet - if rainy season doesn’t occur

77
Q

Are droughts more likely to occur in areas where the rainy season occurs in the summer or winter?

A

if the rainy season occurs in summer droughts are more common - in winter temp is lower with less intense sunlight so water is absorbed into soil easily and stored underground until the drier months - in summer water is baked hard by the sun and evaporated

78
Q

What are the causes of drought?

A
  1. meteorological
  2. hydrological
  3. human - agricultural, deforestation and dam building
79
Q

How does dam building cause drought?

A

building a dam causes river levels to drop further downstream which causes a drought in areas further down the river as the water source is restricted

80
Q

How does deforestation cause drought?

A
  • cutting trees means no soil protection from sun so it will dry out and DESERTIFICATION will occur
  • less trees mean less CO2 is taken for photosynthesis - more CO2 contributes to greenhouse effect which heats up area and causes drought
81
Q

How does agriculture cause drought?

A

farmers use water sources to irrigate land - leading to OVER-ABSTRACTION and drought

82
Q

What are the meteorological causes of drought?

A

changes in usual weather patterns impact the way heat is distributed around the planet so some areas are drier than usual and might have drought

83
Q

What are the hydrological causes of drought?

A

changes in local weather mean less precipitation which may cause a drought

84
Q

How does the El Niño Effect cause drought?

A
  • warm water usually rises at the west coast of South America making it cold and dry - this water is dragged to East Australia where it is heated on the equator - making australia warm and wet - on an El Niño year the opposite occurs - making australia cold and dry (drought conditions)
85
Q

What is the LEDC case study for drought?

A

Ethiopia - Eastern Africa, has suffered from many droughts since 1980 leading to famine and loss of life - one of the worst periods was 2015

86
Q

What were the effects of the Ethiopian drought on the people?

A
  1. 85% live in countryside and rely on local farming and plants for building materials
  2. unreliable rain makes planning crops difficult
  3. only 57% havé access to improved water source
  4. walking to collect water takes people out of work/school
  5. water sources can become polluted - people forced to drink unsafe water leading to cholera typhoid etc
87
Q

What were the effects of the Ethiopian drought on the ecosystems?

A
  1. habitat loss due to low water levels in reservoirs, lakes, ponds e.g. Borkena Wetland
  2. more disease in wild animals as food/water supply is reduced
  3. wildlife migrate
  4. 200,000 hectares of forest lost every year due to forest fires
  5. extinction e.g. Grevy zebra
  6. wind and water erosion of soil
88
Q

How did the government respond to the drought in Ethiopia?

A
  1. overseas governments have given aid e.g. USA gave $128.4 in food aid in 2015
89
Q

How did organisations respond to the drought in Ethiopia?

A
  1. agencies e.g. Oxfam and UNICEF help people get water supplies
  2. education charities help people get jobs in urban areas
90
Q

How did the individuals respond to the drought in Ethiopia?

A
  1. charity events e.g. Live Aid raised awareness and money
91
Q

What is the MEDC case study for drought?

A

California - one of the wealthiest states - popular destination for study/work and tourism

92
Q

What were the effects of the Californian drought on people? (4)

A
  1. groundwater is extracted from aquifers - damage to infrastructure
  2. coastal areas suffer from water intrusion - natural groundwater flow is reversed from lack of flow pressure meaning sea water is contaminated making it unusable/expensive
  3. drop in irrigation pipelines and canals means $1.8 billion and 10,000 farming jobs lost (2015)
  4. cost $2.7 billion a year
93
Q

What were the effects of the Californian drought on ecosystems? (2)

A
  1. wetlands and rivers receive less water as it is diverted for domestic/agricultural use - adverse effect on ecosystems
  2. warm, windy weather causes wildfires by drying out vegetation and winds spread them (causes obvious damage as well as ash contaminating water supplies and blocks streams causing mudslides and flooding)
94
Q

How has the government responded to the Californian drought?

A
  1. ran public education programmes e.g. Save Our Water
  2. state laws requiring 25% cut in water use
  3. departments e.g. Department of Water Resources introduced
    - limiting flows in winter
    - installing salinity control plants
    - monitoring rivers to check endangered species and effects of drought in them
95
Q

How have organisations responded to the Californian drought?

A
  1. university of california research project for effectively managing groundwater
96
Q

How have individuals responded to the Californian drought?

A
  1. farmers using water-efficient irrigation e.g. drip irrigation
  2. homeowners checking for water leaks
  3. protestors campaigned against companies selling bottled local water
97
Q

What are the conditions needed for a drought?

A
  1. temporary low precipitation levels e.g. UK drought is 15 consecutive days without rainfall
  2. high pressure conditions with no cloud cover
  3. located anywhere globally

(07) Geography 1 (5 decks)

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